Carton gluing apparatus



y 25, 1964 L. E. ARNESON 3,134,692

CARTON GLUING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 27, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 1 lawre/zceid'rwafz, 70 i BY y 6, 1964 L. E. ARNESON 3,134,692

CARTON GLUING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 27, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Us: 42 67 I 49 I J? I .2 7

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United States Patent 1- cc A 3,134,692 Fatented May 26, 1964 3,134,692 CARTON GLUING APlARATUS Lawrence E. Arneson, Morris, Ill., assignor to Federal Paper Board Company, l'nc., Bogota, Ni, a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 154,998 3 Claims. (Cl. 118-1) This invention relates to packaging machinery and is more particularly concerned with improvements in apparatus for use in connection with the closing and sealing of wall forming panels or flaps of a paperboard carton.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved applicator device for a carton gluing and closing machine which is adapted to imprint a pattern of a liquid adhesive on a carton wall panel which is subsequently folded so as to bring the adhesive coated face into engagement with the surface of a cooperating panel with which it is to be connected.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a liquid glue applying device for a carton flap folding and sealing apparatus which is adapted to apply on one surface of a carton wall flap a plurality of spots of glue arranged in a predetermined pattern so as to permit the glued surface of the flap to be adhered to another surface the shape of which determines the pattern of the glue spots.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a glue applying apparatus for a carton wall panel gluing and closing machine which comprises cooperating fixed and movable platens arranged with their surfaces in confronting relation, with the movable platen having a glue receiving chamber with a series of outlet forming apertures opening on the face of the platen and being mounted so that it is adapted to be moved from an open position, where the carton panel to be glued is free to move between the platens to a closed position for application of the glue through the apertures and onto the panel.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a glue applying apparatus which is adapted to be incorporated in a carton flap gluing and closing machine and which comprises relatively movable platens between which a wall forming flap of a carton is adapted to be positioned to receive on a surface thereof an application of glue, in pattern form, delivered by one of the platens and wherein relative movement of the platens is effected by operation of a fluid cylinder and control means is provided for the cylinder which is automatically actuated upon movement of a carton to bring the flap between the platens and into proper position for receiving the glue.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention Will be apparent from a consideration of the apparatus which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

' FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a carton closing and sealing machine having a glue applying apparatus which incorporates the principal features of the invention, the apparatus being shown mounted on the machine in proper position for applying glue to one of the wall forming flaps at the uppermost end of a carton;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation of the outer end of the glue applying apparatus;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the glue applying apparatus as shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of the glue applying apparatus, the view being taken on the line indicated at 4-4 in FIGURE 2, to an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevationof the glue applying apparatus, to an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 2, to an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 7 is a cross section, taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 5, to an enlarged scale, and with portions broken away;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a top end portion of a carton having open end wall flaps which are adapted to be closed and sealed on a machine which incorporates the glue applying apparatus; and

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 8 showing the glue pattern which is applied by the apparatus on the extended carton end wall flaps.

The apparatus of the present invention is adapted to be incorporated in a machine for closing and sealing cartons of the type which are initially supplied in flattened, partially assembled condition and which are adapted to be opened up into tubular form and filled through an open end thereof after the end wall forming panels or flap members constituting the other end have been glued and folded to closed position. After the filling operation which places the desired contents in the carton the open top end is then closed by applying glue to one of the end wall forming panels or flap members and closing the same upon each other in predetermined sequence. A carton of this type is shown at 10 in FIG- URES 8 and 9. The illustrated carton 10 is constructed so that after it is filled and closed a side wall may be hinged to open position to provide access for removal of the contents with the side Wall having connected flanges along its free side edge and ends which overlie portions of the corresponding side and end walls of the body of the carton when in closed position. Several different forms of this carton, which is especially designed for marketing ice cream in half-gallon quantity, are disclosed in copending application Serial No. 85,893, filed January 30, 1961, now Patent No. 3,018,942.

The carton 10, as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, comprises a front wall 11, a rear wall 12, a bottom forming wall 13 and a cover forming top wall 14 which is hinged to the rear wall 12 on the hinge line 15 and which is provided on its free front edge with a relatively narrow flap 16 adapted, in the closed condition of the carton, to overlie the top margin of the front wall 11 and to be secured thereto initially by a readily breakable connection so as to permit the same to be torn loose from the front wall to enable the cover forming top wall 14 to operate as a hinged cover. The tubular body of the carton has identical sets of wall forming panels or flaps at each end which are adapted to be glued and folded to form multi-ply end wall structures. The innermost end wall forming panel or flap member 17 has dimensions substantially the same as the end of the carton body and is hinged to the bottom forming wall 13. A relatively narrow cover end flange forming panel or flap member 18 is hinged to the end edge of the top wall 14. A panel or flap member 1? is hinged to the end edge of the back wall 12. This panel or flap member has a section 26 which is separated therefrom on a partly cut, partly perforated line 21. A panel or flap member 22 is hinged to the end edge of the front wall 11 which has a portion cut out along the line 23 and a relatively narrow panel 24 is hinged to the end edge of the front flap 16 on the cover forming portion of the carton. In closing the panels or flap members on the end of the carton to form the end wall the flap member 17 is first folded in against the contents of the filled carton which is indicated at 25 in FIGURE 8. The flap member 18 on the top wall 14 is then folded into overlying relation with the free marginal portion of the flap member 17 and the flap member 19 is hinged downwardly over the two previously folded flap members 1'7 and 18 bringing the section 20 of the flap member 19 into overlying relation with a portion of the flap member 18, the maximum width of the section 20 corresponding approximately to the width of the flap member 13. Finally, the liap members 22 and 24- are folded from the open position shown in FIGURE 8 into overlying relation with the previously folded flap members after a pattern of glue or other liquid adhesive is applied to the inside surfaces thereof while they are in open position as shown in FIGURE 9. The closed flap members are then held until the glue sets which leaves the panels or flap members 17, 19 and 22 connected to form the end wall for the carton body and the panels or flap members 18, Ztl and 24 connected so as to form the end flange on the cover section. The two sets of end wall panels or flap members 17, 19, 22 and 18, 2t), 24 are connected in the initial closed position of the cover section by the perforated portion of the line 21 which may be broken when the front flap member 16 is torn loose from the front wall member and the cover section is hinged to open position.

The glue applying apparatus or device is adapted to be mounted on a carton filling and closing machine of a type which is available commercially and a portion of such a machine is illustrated in FIGURE 1, with only so much of the details being shown as are necessary to illustrate the operation of the glue applying apparatus when the latter is employed in such a machine. The machine includes parallel side frame members 31 and 32 which form a channel for receiving the cartons 10 in set up condition. A suitable conveyor (not shown) is associated with the side channels 31 and 32 with the upper run thereof traveling between the channels 31 and 32 and advancing the successive cartons through the machine. The glue applying apparatus 3% is shown mounted on the side channel 31 adjacent a filling mechanism indicated at 35 which delivers the desired amount of the product through the open upper end of the carton, the lower end of the carton having been closed and sealed before the carton reaches the filling device 35. As the carton reaches the filling device 35 the end flap members 22 and 24 are moved to a horizontally disposed open position by a combination plough and guide member indicated at 36 for entrance into the glue applicator 30 so as to receive the glue.

The glue applying apparatus or mechanism 30 comprises a base member 40 having a forwardly disposed portion 41 with a flat upper face which forms a platen adapted to support the carton flap members in the open position during the application of the adhesive by the head 42, the latter being mounted for vertical reciprocation above the base member 4% The base member 4'9 is provided with mounting tongues or lugs 43 and 43' projecting outwardly on the side edges of the rearmost portion 44. The mounting lugs 43 and 43' are received in locking slots or recesses 45 and 45' in a pair of spaced angular mounting brackets 46 and 46' which have corresponding flanges 4 7 and 47' bolted or otherwise secured to the side frame 31. The mounting lugs 43 and 43' are locked in the recesses 45 and 45' in the parallel, outwardly extending bracket plates by means of pivoted gate members 48, 48' and cooperating locking screws 49, 49. The base portion 44 has a downwardly opening recess 50 (FIGURE 5) in which the piston end of the fluid operated cylinder 51 is mounted. The cylinder 51 has an end portion extending vertically through an aperture 52 and is held in position by a lock nut 53 with its piston 54 extending vertically and having the end thereof connected by a bracket plate 55 (FIGURE 6) to the bottom face of the glue applying head 42. A control valve 56 is mounted on the lowermost end of the cylinder 51 and connected into the fluid supply line. The head 42 is guided in its vertical reciprocating movement between open and closed position by a pair of depending guide pins 57 and 57' which slide in vertical bores 53 and 58 in the rear portion 44 of the base member 40.

The glue applying head 4-2 is provided with a forwardly extending portion 59 which has a platen forming member 60 attached to the bottom face thereof. The platen member 60 (FTGURES 6 and 7) is recessed at 61 to form a glue receiving chamber and provided on its lower face with a series of spaced, parallel, vertically disposed passageways 62, each extending from the glue chamber 61 to the lower face of a boss 63 formed on the lowermost face 64 of the platen 66'. The passageways 62 have beveled openings at 65 into the glue chamber 61 and a reciprocally mounted clean-out device 66 is positioned in the glue chamber 61. The clean-out device 6 is in the form of a relatively thin plate with a series of pins 67 mounted in vertically disposed, parallel relation on the bottom face and aligned with the holes or passageways 62 in the lower face 64 of the platen member 60 so as to move through the passageways 62 when the plate 66 is lowered to clear the passageways of glue which facilitates cleaning the device when its use is discontinued. The clean-out plate 66 is mounted on a pair of vertically disposed, parallel pins 68 which are slidably mounted in bearing sleeves 70 in the head 42 and which are provided with compression springs 71 for normally holding the plate 66 in raised position. The glue passageways 62 are arranged in a predetermined pattern on the bottom face of the platen member 659 so as to spot glue the carton flaps in the areas required. The glue passageways 62 may be arranged to provide any desired glue pattern.

A pump 72 (FIGURES 3 and 5), preferably of the reciprocating piston type, is mounted on the top surface of the glue applying head 42 near the rearmost end thereof with a connection or passageway 73 (FIGURE 3) to the glue chamber 61 and with a connection indicated at 74- with a glue supply vessel. The pump 72 is mounted in an aperture 75 in the head 42 and an operating shaft '76 for the piston depends from the head 42 and extends through an aperture 77 in the base portion 44. The rod '76 is threaded and provided with two sets of axially spaced nuts '78 and 79 which are disposed relative to the base member 4t and the stroke of the head so as to reciprocate the pump piston when the head 42 is raised md lowered.

The operation of the cylinder 51 is controlled by two bleeder valves 86 and 81 (FIGURES 2 and 4) which are connected by the lines 82 and 83 to the control valve 56. The bleeder valve has an upstanding operating button 84 which is adapted to be engaged and operated by the descending head 42 when the latter reaches the closed position at the bottom of its movement. The bleeder valve 81 is controlled by a carton sensing mechanism 35 (FIG- URE 4) mounted on the bottom of the forward portion 41 of the base 40.

The carton sensing mechanism 85 comprises a trip plate 86 having a free edge beveled as shown at 87 and extending into the path of the carton 10. The plate 86 is adjustably mounted on arm 88 which is pivotally mounted at 89 on the base plate portion 411 and urged in an outward direction by a leaf spring 90 mounted on bracket plate 91 and having its free end engaging the arm 88 near the free end of the latter. The arm 88 is provided with a tail end 22 having a recess 93 in which a spring pressed dog 94 is pivotally mounted so that it will engage with a cooperating boss 95 on a small lever arm 96 which is pivoted at 97 on the base portion 41 and which presses against the actuating button 98 of the bleeder valve 81. The plate 86 is normally held by the spring 99 in the path of the cartons 10 so that when an advancing carton 10 engages the beveled edge 87 of the plate arid moves into position in front of the glue applying apparatus, the arm 88 is swung counterclockwise about its pivot 89 and the valve 81 is actuated to start the glue applying head 42 in a downward direction for closing upon the carton flap supporting platen forming portion 41 of the base member When the plate is released by advance of the carton 10 beyond the glue applying apparatus, the spring 20 swings the sensing plate 86 to its extended position, the pivoted dog 94 swinging by the boss 95 without operating the valve 81. If there is no carton advanced so as to retract the plate 86 the glue applying apparatus is not operated.

The valve 80 when actuated at the end of the downward or closing movement of the head 42 causes the cylinder 51 to advance the piston 54 and raise or open the head 42 so as to release the carton flap members from between the two platen members 41 and 60, permitting the carton to advance beyond the apparatus.

After the application of glue to the flap members 22 and 24, the carton is moved by the conveyor to the flap closing members of the machine which are indicated at 100. Subsequently, the fully closed carton may be delivered to a press (not shown) which will hold the end flaps in closed position until the glue has set.

The operating cylinder 51 for the apparatus is preferably an air cylinder. However, an hydraulic cylinder of any known type may be used with suitable valves for controlling the operating fluid.

While the glue applying mechanism 30 is shown in FIGURE I mounted on the carton closing machine so as to apply glue to flaps extending from the top of a carton after the carton is filled, the same apparatus may be mounted in inverted position on the frame member 31 to apply glue to flaps extending from the bottom of a carton after the body of the carton is squared up and before the carton is advanced to the filling mechanism.

I claim:

1. In a carton flap closing machine apparatus for applying glue to the carton flaps comprising a fixed base member having a carton flap supporting platen portion and a glue applying head mounted on a pair of guide pins at one side of the head which are slidably received in apertures in said base member, said glue applying head having a platen portion in oppositely disposed relation to the platen portion of the base member and extending laterally of the side which is mounted on the guide pins, means forming a glue chamber in said glue applying head, the platen portion of said head having glue discharge apertures which open on the face thereof confronting the platen portion of the base member, means including a pump for supplying glue to said glue chamber for discharge through said apertures, a fluid operated motor for reciprocating said glue applying head to move the platen into engagement with carton flaps disposed on the platen portion of the base member, said fluid operated motor comprising a two-way fluid cylinder mounted on the base member and having its piston connected to the glue applying head, a fluid supply line connected to said cylinder and having a control valve, a pair of bleeder valves connected to said control valve, means actuated by movement of a carton into position alongside said base member with flaps thereon extending laterally between said platens to operate one of said bleeder valves and supply fluid to the fluid cylinder, thereby to advance the glue applying head toward the base member, and means on said head to operate the other bleeder valve and retract the glue applying head when the carton flaps are engaged between the platens.

2. In a carton end closing machine, an apparatus for applying glue to the carton end flaps comprising a base member having a platen forming portion positioned for supporting the carton flaps when they are open and extending laterally of the carton side walls, a glue applying head, guide pins mounted at one side of said head, said base member having apertures for slidingly receiving said guide pins, said head having a platen forming portion positione'd with the face thereof in oppositely disposed relation to the platen forming portion on the base member, said platen forming portion extending from the side of the head on which the guide pins are mounted, said head being provided with a glue chamber and having glue discharge apertures which open on the face of said platen forming portion, means to supply glue to said glue chamher for discharge through said apertures, said glue supplying means comprising a pump mounted on said head and connected to said glue chamber, a glue supply line connected to said pump, and a shaft for operating said glue supply pump which shaft projects in free sliding relation through an aperture in the base member and has axially spaced stop members thereon for engaging the base member whereby said shaft is axially reciprocated upon predetermined reciprocating movement of said head relative to said base member, power means for reciprocating said head to bring the platen forming portion thereon into engagement with carton flaps disposed between the platen forming portion of said base member and said head, and means for actuating said power means which is operative in response to movement of a carton so as to position the open flaps between said platen forming portions.

3. In a carton flap closing machine as recited in claim 2, and means mounted in the glue chamber for clearing the apertures of glue which means comprises a support member mounted for reciprocation toward and from the glue discharge apertures and having pins thereon aligned with said apertures so as to move into the apertures and clear the apertures of glue when the support member is moved toward said apertures, spring means normally urging said support member away from said apertures, and an operating member extending from the support member outside of said head for manually reciprocating said support member.

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 226,940 Stutz Apr. 27, 1880 520,287 Abeling May 22, 1894 790,857 Taatfe et al. May 23, 1905 1,213,634 Havassy Ian. 23, 1917 1,254,190 Baker Jan. 22, 1918 2,166,268 Simmons July 18, 1939 2,247,473 I Binder July 1, 1941 2,264,632 Gerlitzki Dec. 2, 1941 2,697,253 Kruft Dec. 21, 1954 2,825,190 Heald Mar. 4, 1958 3,056,337 Bahr et a1. Oct. 2, 1962 3,059,856 Pagendarm Oct. 23, 1962 

1. IN A CARTON FLAP CLOSING MACHINE APPARATUS FOR APPLYING GLUE TO THE CARTON FLAPS COMPRISING A FIXED BASE MEMBER HAVING A CARTON FLAP SUPPORTING PLATEN PORTION AND A GLUE APPLYING HEAD MOUNTED ON A PAIR OF GUIDE PINS AT ONE SIDE OF THE HEAD WHICH ARE SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN APERTURES IN SAID BASE MEMBER, SAID GLUE APPLYING HEAD HAVING A PLATEN PORTION IN OPPOSITELY DISPOSED RELATION TO THE PLATEN PORTION OF THE BASE MEMBER AND EXTENDING LATERALLY OF THE SIDE WHICH IS MOUNTED ON THE GUIDE PINS,MEANS FORMING A GLUE CHAMBER IN SAID GLUE APPLYING HEAD, THE PLATEN PORTION OF SAID HEAD HAVING GLUE DISCHARGE APERTURES WHICH OPEN ON THE FACE THEREOF CONFRONTING THE PLATEN PORTION OF THE BASE MEMBER, MEANS INCLUDING A PUMP FOR SUPPLYING GLUE TO SAID GLUE CHAMBER FOR DISCHARGE THROUGH SAID APERTURES, A FLUID OPERATED MOTOR FOR RECIPROCATING SAID GLUE APPLYING HEAD TO MOVE THE PLATEN INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH CARTON FLAPS DISPOSED ON THE PLATEN PORTION OF THE BASE MEMBER, SAID FLUID OPERATED MOTOR COMPRISING A TWO-WAY FLUID CYLINDER MOUNTED ON THE BASE MEMBER AND HAVING ITS PISTON CONNECTED TO THE GLUE APPLYING HEAD, A FLUID SUPPLY LINE CONNECTED TO SAID CYLINDER AND HAVING A CONTROL VALVE, A PAIR OF BLEEDER VALVES CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL VALVE, MEANS ACTUATED BY MOVEMENT OF A CARTON INTO POSITION ALONGSIDE SAID BASE MEMBER WITH FLAPS THEREON EXTENDING LATERALLY BETWEEN SAID PLATENS TO OPERATE ONE OF SAID BLEEDER VALVES AND SUPPLY FLUID TO THE FLUID CYLINDER, THEREBY TO ADVANCE THE GLUE APPLYING HEAD TOWARD THE BASE MEMBER, AND MEANS ON SAID HEAD TO OPERATE THE OTHER BLEEDER VALVE AND RETRACT THE GLUE APPLYING HEAD WHEN THE CARTON FLAPS ARE ENGAGED BETWEEN THE PLATENS. 